Kansas Benefits Counselors Network
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a fee to use the KBCN?
What is involved in a benefit analysis?
I already work with a rehabilitation organization. Do they have a benefits counselor?
What if I don’t use a case manager or other counselor? Can I work directly with the KBCN?
Who else is going to have access to my personal information?
What type of training does a BPAO benefits specialist receive?
I don’t live in Kansas. How can I find my closest BPAO?
What is a BPAO?
The Social Security Administration (SSA), as authorized by the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999, awarded 116 cooperative agreements to a variety of community organizations called Benefits Planning, Assistance, and Outreach (BPAO) projects. These BPAO projects provide all SSA beneficiaries with disabilities (including transition-to-work aged youth) access to benefits planning and assistance services. Cooperative agreements were awarded throughout every State, The District of Columbia, and the U.S. Territories of American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
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Yes. The Kansas Benefits Counselors Network is the name of CPRF’s Benefits Planning, Assistance, and Outreach (BPAO) project, which operates under the Kansas Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act. The KBCN is the only BPAO in Kansas.
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Who are members of the KBCN?
The KBCN is comprised of more than 100 benefit counselors from across the state. These counselors come from a variety of professional fields in the social service arena and include case managers, vocational rehabilitation counselors, transition counselors, representative payees and others. These professionals work with the KBCN staff to provide counseling services about Social Security benefits for the purpose of evaluating the affect employment has on a person’s benefit payments and the overall affect employment has on a person’s income and financial independence.
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Is there a fee to use the KBCN?
No. The KBCN is funded by Cooperative Agreement No. 16-T-10013-01 from the Social Security Administration. There is no cost to you to use this service. As a matter of fact, if once your benefits analysis is complete you decide to seek employment, you may also want to investigate two other CPRF programs: the Placement Department and the Benefits and Tax Research program. The Placement Department can assist you in securing gainful employment, while the Benefits and Tax Research program helps people manage their taxes in the most favorable way and helps them find ways to safely accumulate assets.
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What is involved in a benefit analysis?
Although each analysis will be tailored to meet individual needs, there are three common steps: gathering information, sharing the analysis and developing a plan.
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Gathering information - Benefits counselors gather the necessary information from you and then send it to the trained benefits specialists at KBCN, much in the same way your family doctor consults with other medical specialists.
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Sharing the analysis - When an analysis of your benefits is completed, the KBCN benefits specialists can then provide you and your counselor with information about how your benefits might change as your life changes.
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Developing a plan - The next step is for you and your counselor to work out a benefits management plan, so that you can keep track of changes as they occur and plan for changes that may come. This will help you plan ahead while avoiding problems such as a loss of benefits or having to repay when Social Security has made an overpayment to you. As with many endeavors, planning ahead and monthly monitoring are the keys to financial self-sufficiency through Social Security Administration benefits.
I already work with a rehabilitation organization. Do they have a benefits counselor?
It is possible there is already a trained KBCN benefits counselor on staff. Contact the KBCN team to find out if your current organization has one.
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What if I don’t use a case manager or other counselor? Can I work directly with the KBCN?
Yes. Contact the KBCN to learn more.
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Who else is going to have access to my personal information?
We are acutely aware of the need to respect the privacy of each person we serve. Your information is kept confidential between you, your counselor, representative payee (if applicable) and the benefits specialists at the KBCN.
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I have a ticket-to-work, but I don’t know how becoming employed will affect my benefits. What should be my first step?
Your first step should be a benefits analysis – which we can provide. In doing so, you have three options:
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Contact us for a local benefits counselor
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Or, work through your current case manager or benefits counselor to begin your analysis
I have a Ticket-to-Work and a recent benefits analysis. Can I “assign” my ticket to your organization?
Possibly. Contact us for more information. Also, don’t forget to check out our Benefits and Tax Research program to learn about how you can better manager your tax liability and develop a plan for asset accumulation.
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What type of training does a BPAO benefits specialist receive?
The U. S. Social Security Administration has contracted with Cornell University, Virginia Commonwealth University, and the University of Missouri-Columbia, to provide technical assistance and training to all Benefits, Planning, Assistance and Outreach (BPAO) Benefits Specialists on the SSA’s disability programs and work incentives, the Medicare and Medicaid programs, and on other Federal work incentives programs. In turn, as Kansas’ BPAO, the KBCN is required to provide training and technical assistance to network members throughout the state. Learn more about the KBCN team and their qualifications by visiting the Employment Services Division Team page.
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I don’t live in Kansas. How can I find my closest BPAO?
You can find your closest Benefits, Planning, Assistance and Outreach program office by visiting the state-by-state contact list on the U.S. Social Security Administration Web site. Click here to jump to that page.
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